Volunteers re-energize Habitat for Humanity

On Saturday, members of the community got to work as a part of the Habitat for Humanity's new neighborhood projects.

On Saturday, members of the community got to work as a part of the Habitat for Humanity's new neighborhood projects.

Photo: Homer Marquez/Plainview Herald

Photo: Homer Marquez/Plainview Herald

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On Saturday, members of the community got to work as a part of the Habitat for Humanity's new neighborhood projects.

On Saturday, members of the community got to work as a part of the Habitat for Humanity's new neighborhood projects.

Photo: Homer Marquez/Plainview Herald

Volunteers re-energize Habitat for Humanity

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They are not only revitalizing neighborhoods, they're revitalizing a mission.

And on Saturday, a group of volunteers put on the gloves and brought out the landscaping tools in an effort to help neighbors and breath new life to a definitive organization.

"We're growing," said Larry Williams, board president of Plainview's Habitat for Humanity, as he commented on the growing interest of volunteers and donors dedicated to furthering the vision of the initiative.

Internationally, for the last four decades the vision of Habitat for Humanity has been to ensure that everyone has a decent place to live. Locally, this includes volunteers rehabilitating or constructing quality homes with an opportunity for low income families to purchase the property at an extremely discounted price.

"We don't consider it a 'hand-out', but a 'hand-up'," Williams said.

In the past, according to Williams, the Plainview Habitat for Humanity effort has built several homes and matched them with families who work to pay off the mortgage.

However, the price of the home is cut drastically as construction costs are waived, and families are set up with a 20-year mortgage with zero interest.

"As a Christian organization, we are not going to charge our brothers and sisters to help them out. That's why there's no construction costs or interest; it's pure volunteer work," Williams said.

Since starting in the mid-2000s, the organization has built seven homes in nearly 10 years. The first family to participate in the Habitat for Humanity has paid off their home, according to Williams.

However, the closure of Plainview's largest-employer, Cargill, dealt a big blow to the organization.

"Our funding dropped and we lost several volunteers," Williams said.

With homes only funded by donations, Plainview's Habitat for Humanity sat inactive.

"It was hard to raise funds," Williams explained.

But that down time wouldn't last, as the organization decided to use the resources they did have to help families.

"We weren't just going to sit there and idle," Williams said.

So as a response, Habitat for Humanity opted to start a neighborhood revitalizing program with the mission to help renovate a home's curb appeal.

On Saturday, Williams and volunteers tackled their first home, landscaping wild brushes, painting and re-caulking cracks.

Williams said the group currently has three more houses lined up for the future.

By renovating a home's outside appearance, Williams said it's natural that neighbors will be motivated to do the same to their homes and in-turn spark a chain reaction that will rejuvenate the neighborhood.

In Saturday's instance, the family of the home could afford materials for the project, however an ill family member made it impossible for the family to do the work themselves.

However, Williams said the organization does have funds to purchase materials in the case a family cannot afford it.

The move to start the neighborhood revitalization project has also sparked new interest in the Habitat for Humanity.

"We are seeing our volunteer base grow," explained Williams.

Williams said even though Plainview took a hit with the closure, people are feeling optimistic about the situation.

"Plainview's feeling a lot better, and we are going out there and getting things done. We're not going to just sit there and die," Williams said.

With a stronger volunteer reserve, Williams is sure that the organization will be able to build houses soon.

"We got about three to four families that still need homes," Williams said.

Williams said he hopes the neighborhood revitalization plan will spur donations for the cause.

In the meantime, the Habitat for Humanity will continue to line up projects through the summer. The organization has partnered with another local group, Love in Action, which is dedicated to fixing essential items inside the homes, while Habitat for Humanity works on the outside.

To sign up to volunteer or to seek assistance from Habitat for Humanity, contact the organization at plainview_habitat@yahoo.com. The group also has a special Plainview Facebook page with updates.